Empty Hearts Still Beat
by The Heart's Notebook
Summary: Jeremy Downs is Dexter's next target until Dexter sees something in Jeremy's eyes that makes Dexter realize that the two of them might actually be one in the same. Dexter takes in the nineteen-year-old and strives to teach Jeremy to control his urges and channel them towards the greater good. WARNING: May possibly contain MaleXMale intimacy in later chapters.
1. Salvation?

**I'm a new fan of Dexter! I just thought I would try my hand at a Dexter fanfiction. :)**

 _ **Jeremy Downs is Dexter's next target until Dexter sees something in Jeremy's eyes that makes Dexter realize that the two of them might actually be one in the same. Dexter takes in the nineteen-year-old and strives to teach Jeremy to control his urges and channel them towards the greater good.**_

 _ **Empty Hearts Still Beat**_  
Ch1_Salvation?

So that's what it was. Jeremy Downs didn't kill his victim out of cold-blood. It was self-defense. His victim had raped him.

Dexter turned Jeremy around and grabbed him by the throat. Dexter glared at the younger male. His glare disappeared when he saw fear and...emptiness in Jeremy's brown eyes. Tears filled Jeremy's eyes and ran down his face. He was shaking. "Please..." Jeremy sobbed, "...I'll do whatever you want. Just please...not...not _that_."

"Shh," Dexter found himself saying. His hand moved on its own, gently caressed Jeremy's cheek, and wiped away his tears. "I'm not gonna hurt you," Dexter stated honestly.

"Then what do you want?" Jeremy asked cautiously.

"I want to help you," Dexter answered.

Jeremy looked at Dexter surprised, "What?"

"Get your stuff," Dexter told him, "I'll explain on the way to my place." Dexter turned away and walked towards the door, "I'll wait for you in the hallway."

Jeremy did what he was told and packed everything he owned. He had no idea who this guy was, but if there was a chance for him to get rid of the emptiness in him then he would take it. Plus, Jeremy got the feeling that this guy wasn't a person he would want to dare disobey. He could tell, this guy was dangerous.

 _ **To Be Continued...**_


	2. Car Ride

_**Empty Hearts Still Beat**_  
Ch2_Car Ride

They quietly left the halfway house. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes. Dexter noticed Jeremy's uneasiness. "So," Dexter began. He saw Jeremy flinch at the sudden break in silence. "What's your name?" Dexter pretended not to know.

"Jeremy Downs," Jeremy answered, but something told him that this guy already knew his name. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Dexter Morgan," Dexter stepped on the gas when the light turned green.

Jeremy studied Dexter for a minute. "You're a killer, like me, aren't you?" The nineteen-year-old wondered.

Dexter chuckled a little. "I'm much worse actually. See, you've only killed one person, right?"

Jeremy nodded, "Yeah."

"Well me...I'm a serial killer," Dexter smirked. He sighed, "God, that felt good to get that off my chest. But see, I'm a different kind of serial killer; I only kill people that are a danger to society. People who are cold-blooded murderers, arsonists, rapists, etc."

"Are you..." Jeremy cleared his suddenly dry throat, "...Are you going to kill me?"

Dexter stopped the car at a stop sign. He looked at Jeremy, "Trust me, Jeremy, if I was going to kill you...I would have done it already."

Jeremy swallowed and looked away. "But, back at the halfway house, you were going to kill me, weren't you? I saw it in your eyes. You wanted to kill me. So why didn't you?"

"Fine, I was going to kill you, but then I saw something in you," Dexter answered.

"What did you see?" Jeremy asked.

"You killed that guy because he raped you. I understand that. He deserved to die. But now you're empty because of what happened. Now you want to kill to feel something other than emptiness. You want something to fill that void."

"You figured all that out just by looking me in the eye?" Jeremy was surprised, no one has ever been able to read him that easily.

"Pretty much," Dexter nodded.

"Is that why you kill?" Jeremy stared out the car door window.

"Yeah, it is," Dexter replied, "My foster father taught me how to channel my urge to kill. He taught me how to not take it out on innocent people, but on people who deserve to die."

"Is that what you're going to teach me?" Jeremy looked at Dexter again.

"I'm going to try," Dexter told him. "And you can relax, Jeremy. I promise, I'm _not_ going hurt you."

Jeremy sighed in relief quietly, "Okay." Dexter saw the teenager's coiled muscles relax and His stiff body leaned back against the seat.

 _ **To Be Continued...**_


End file.
